Nutmeg concludes another successful year of community contributions
Credit union supports local organizations and charities throughout 2019.
ROCKY HILL, CT (December 31, 2019) — Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union made great strides this year in its mission to benefit communities across the state. With over 1,200 hours of staff participation at one hundred public events, the credit union was among some of the most committed organizations to community and charity initiatives in 2019.
The credit union closed out its year of charity work as the main sponsor of Alzheimer’s Association events in New Haven and Hartford, where they donated nearly $15,000 to benefit the support and research of the disease. An additional $1,000 was also contributed by Nutmeg staff and members who purchased “Forget-Me-Not” paper flowers placed on display at each of the credit union’s branch locations.
“I am so proud of the work we have done this year to help this cause,” said John Holt, President and CEO of Nutmeg, who was present at each of the charity events. “Several staff members have friends or family who have been affected by Alzheimer’s. It is a cause we deeply care about and we’re happy to have helped make a difference by coming out and showing our support.”
In August, Nutmeg extended its charity work to the state education system by donating backpacks filled with school supplies to students in the greater Hartford area. Since the start of this initiative in 2015, the credit union has donated a total of over 1,000 backpacks to help support the education of local students. To many, these donations are crucial to beginning the academic year successfully.
Nutmeg staff actively participated and volunteered at other local events throughout the year. The credit union supported many community initiatives including PRIDE New Haven, Animal Haven’s Dogtober Fest, Make-A-Wish Connecticut‘s Wishes on Wheels Convoy, the Angry Orchard 5K Road Race at Glastonbury’s Apple Fest, and mostrecently the Channel 3 Kids Camp Holiday Light Fantasia and West Hartford Holiday Stroll.
“We’re happy to give back in any way we can,” said Holt. “An important piece of our strategy is to contribute our resources to benefit the community, whether it’s for our members or for other organizations. I’m proud to say that 2019 has been a year of high participation for us all.”
As a federally designated Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Nutmeg also introduced new programs to provide opportunities for credit-challenged individuals to improve their financial standing. Launched earlier this year, the credit union’s Working Wheels Car Ownership Program offers reasonable auto loans and financial education information for low-income families.
“We were inspired to create Working Wheels after seeing how challenging it can be for some families to have a reliable way to get to and from work,” Holt said. “The program is another step in the right direction for us and has already improved the lives of so many people across the state.”
Following the success of Working Wheels, Nutmeg packaged their community focused products into Fresh Start Services. The products categorized under this title have all been designed to help the credit union’s members build credit, establish money management skills and ultimately regain a financial foothold. In addition to Working Wheels, the Fresh Start Program currently includes Nutmeg’s Rebound Checking account and Secured Credit Card, which both encourage smart money management by placing safe limitations on the user. These options also come with all the benefits of Nutmeg’s standard products, making them ideal methods for improvement and credit building.
Nutmeg’s community initiatives and CDFI services resulted in several awards this year. For the third consecutive year, the credit union was awarded the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award for their extensive participation with Channel 3 Kids Camp, an organization dedicated to providing educational camp opportunities for children across the state. Presented by the Credit Union League of Connecticut (CULCT), the award is given annually to the credit union that displays the most commitment to the community. The CULCT also recognized Nutmeg with additional awards for their Public Relations Marketing and Social Media/Content Marketing efforts.
The credit union was also recognized by Hartford Magazine, who declared them the Best Credit Union of 2019, and MemberXP, a credit union member experience platform that designated Nutmeg as one of 2019’s best financial institutions based on member feedback.
“Our members deserve to do business with a financial institution that values them and works to improve their lives and community,” said Holt. “We will continue to do our best to provide a great banking experience and a positive community presence in the coming year.”
Nutmeg staff at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s event in New Haven, CT.
About Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union (NSFCU)
Established in 1936, Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative headquartered in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. Embracing our roots as a steward of the financial cooperative movement, we’re a values-driven collective committed to intentional actions and investments to “be the change” in our community. We believe prosperity for all people is possible through meaningful social and economic relationships and ensuring inclusive and equitable access to resources. Our mission is to create multi-generational prosperity throughout the community we serve through education, collaboration, and the support of local commerce. Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union has assets of approximately $565 million and currently serves approximately 43,000 members. Please visit nutmegstatefcu.org for more information.
